ULTIMATE GUIDE TO LASSEN VOLCANIC NATIONAL PARK

Lassen Peak - Lassen Volcanic National Park — Lassen Peak – Lassen Volcanic National Park

Have you ever heard of Lassen Volcanic National Park? If you answered “No”, you are not alone. Lassen is 1 of 9 different California national parks, and tends to get overlooked due to its remoteness in Northern California. But we’re here to tell you, and show you, why this national park needs to be on your bucket list. So here’s our ultimate guide to Lassen Volcanic National Park!

ABOUT LASSEN VOLCANIC NATIONAL PARK

View of valley in Lassen Volcanic National Park from Sulphur Works

Lassen Volcanic National Park is named after Peter Lassen, one of the first settlers in the area who found a path (Lassen Trail) through the mountains. And if you aren’t familiar with Lassen Volcanic National Park, and it wasn’t obvious, Lassen is most known for its volcanoes and volcanic landscapes. There are 4 different types of volcanoes on our planet (Shield, Plug, Dome and Cinder Cone), and Lassen has all 4 of them! It’s the only place you can find all 4 in one place. The last eruption that occurred, was in 1917 when Lassen Peak erupted. But don’t fret, we are not in any imminent danger of these volcanoes erupting, at least not in our lifetimes.

WHERE IS LASSEN VOLCANIC NATIONAL PARK LOCATED?

We mentioned above that Lassen is a relatively remote national park in California, and this couldn’t be more true. Lassen is located in the far northern part of California roughly 4 hours from the Oregon border. The closest major city is San Francisco, and it’s about a 5 hour drive away, or Reno/Tahoe which are also about 4 hours away. This remoteness tends to deter people from visiting. The good news, is there is not only a ton to do IN Lassen Volcanic National Park, but also in the surrounding areas.

DRIVE FROM:

SAN FRANCISCO: 5 hours
RENO/TAHOE: 4 hours
PORTLAND: 8 hours

MAP OF LASSEN

ENTRY TO LASSEN VOLCANIC NATIONAL PARK

Good news! No reservations or timed entries required! Also good news, no long lines of vehicles waiting to enter the park! Not having to worry about timed entry reservations or lines of vehicles, makes visiting this park so much easier than that some of its sibling parks. There is however still an entry fee, and depending on when you visit, the price may vary.

During non-winter months (May-November), Lassen has a standard 7-day vehicle pass for $30. If you plan to visit during the winter months (December-April), the price for the same 7-day vehicle pass is only $10. But there is a very good reason for this, which we’ll touch in below in the best time to visit section. If you are someone who lives in Northern California (or the surrounding area) and would like to visit Lassen often, they do have a $55 annual pass that you can get as well.

If you are someone like us who is either on a mission to visit every single National Park in the U.S., or plans to visit more than 2 or 3 U.S. national parks per year, then we’d highly recommend getting the A merica The Beautiful Pass. For $80, this annual pass gives you full access to all 63 National Parks in the U.S., as well as any federal recreational sites that charge a fee for entry. Stay at 3 National Parks and this easily pays for itself.

LASSEN ENTRANCES

Southwest entrance near Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center

There are a number of different areas where you can enter the park, but there are only two official entrances and they are both located on the western side of the park. One is the Northwest Entrance which is near Manzanita Lake and includes the historic Loomis Museum which is only open during the summer. The other is the Southwest Entrance which is where the main Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center is located. This entrance and visitor center are open all year long.

Loomis Museum near Manzanita Lake northwest entrance

THINGS TO DO IN LASSEN VOLCANIC NATIONAL PARK

For being on of the smaller, more remote and less popular parks, there is a ton to do in this park, no matter how experienced you are. So let’s get in to all the fun and unique things there are to do in Lassen Volcanic National Park!

SULPHUR WORKS

If you’re coming in to the park from the southwest entrance, Sulphur Works is the first thing you’ll see after passing the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center. It’s one of the most popular and accessible areas within the park, and also allows you to experience one of the most unique aspects of the park: hydrothermal areas with steam vents and boiling mud pots. This is also one of the only areas in the park that remains open year-round.

*Disclaimer: While this is one of the easiest and most accessible areas of the park, it can also be one of the more dangerous areas due to the unsafe ground. So please remain on the designated paths and do not venture off on your own. People have been severely injured in the past by not staying on the paths.

DIFFICULTY – Easy
LENGTH – 0.0mi / km
PET FRIENDLY – Yes!

CINDER CONE

This hike is no joke. But the payoff at the end is WELL WORTH IT. Cinder Cone is named as such due to being a Cinder Cone volcano. It’s one of the few volcanoes you can actually hike up to in the park. If you choose not to hike up to the top, the trail is very easy and well-maintained (roughly 2.5mi / 4.0km roundtrip). If you do attempt to brave the massive elevation incline, you’ll be looking at closer to 4.0mi / 6.4km roundtrip. But you’ll have incredible views of both Lassen Peak, Lassen National Forest and painted dunes! Which we’ll get in to next.

DIFFICULTY – Moderate to Hard
LENGTH – 2.5-4.0mi / 4.0-6.4km
PET FRIENDLY – No

PAINTED DUNES

This is more a bi-product of doing the Cinder Cone Trail, but felt it needed it’s own listing. The Cinder Cone Trail splits in to two paths at the base of the cone. One goes STRAIGHT up the cone, and the other wraps around the back. Both are moderate to strenuous, so there’s no easy path up. But if you aren’t keep on going straight up, the path around the back would be better.

View of Painted Dunes and Lassen Peak from backside of Cinder Cone

When hiking to the cone, and even up the front, you can’t really see the dunes. It’s not until you either get to the top, or get around to the backside of the cone that you get the best views. And oh are they worth the hike! These painted dunes, named so due to the mixture of tan and pink/red colors, are a result of the volcanic elements surrounding this cinder cone volcano. Weather can definitely play a role in just how visible and colorful these dunes appear, we’d recommend going when the sun is up and shining for the best views.

DIFFICULTY – Moderate to Hard
LENGTH – 2.5-4.0mi / 4.0-6.4km
PET FRIENDLY – No

LASSEN PEAK

The other volcano that you can hike in the park is Lassen Peak, and is also incredibly challenging. It is a 5.1mi / 8.2km out and back hike with an elevation incline of 2,000ft / 600m. Yikes! But if you’re looking to go home with a story of saying you hiked a volcano, this is one way to do it!

DIFFICULTY – Hard
LENGTH – 5.1mi / 8.2km
PET FRIENDLY – No

DRIVE THE SCENIC HIGHWAY

Driving through the entire park will require visiting during non-winter months, but it is the best way to truly see and experience the entire park. There are tons of pullouts, vista points and overlooks, lakes and so much more right off the main park highway. And at 30mi / 48km long, it can easily be a full-day experience depending on how much you decide to pull over for.

ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY

Milky Way Sky in Lassen Volcanic National Park - California — Milky Way Sky in Lassen Volcanic National Park

If you own a DSLR or mirrorless camera, then Lassen is a playground for astrophotography. Because there aren’t any major cities nearby, the night skies absolutely light up with not only stars, but the Milky Way also! You can literally see it with your eyes. But put your camera on a tripod, and set a long exposure, and you’ll get some incredible night sky photos!

ALTERNATIVE ACTIVITIES

And speaking of the scenic highway, and things to do and see right off of it, here are some additional hikes and points of interest to check out!

Emerald Lake
Bumpass Hell Trail
Manzanita Lake Trail
Devastated Area Loop Trail
Juniper Lake Trail

And for a full list of hikes in the park, you can check this page HERE.

WHERE TO STAY IN LASSEN VOLCANIC NATIONAL PARK

Since Lassen is so remote, finding a good place to stay that is both affordable and not an hours-long drive away is key. Luckily there are a number of options.

INSIDE THE LASSEN NATIONAL PARK

Inside Lassen National Park are 3 different forms of accommodations:

Drakesbad Guest Lodge is a property with 19 lodge and bungalow units available and is located southeast of the park. Manzanita Lake Camping Cabins is a campground inside the national park with 20 cabins. Lastly there are 8 traditional campgrounds inside the park. All 3 of these have seasonal closures of some sort, so you’ll want to check their respective websites before visiting.

OUTSIDE LASSEN NATIONAL PARK

Staying outside of the park opens up your options a bit, but you are more likely to have a longer drive to and from the park as most of the accommodations are located in towns that are an hour or so away. We’ve found the most options to be in the towns surrounding Lake Almanor, like Westwood and Chester. You can see what’s available HERE.

FOR VANLIFERS

Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center - Lassen Volcanic National Park — Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center – Lassen Volcanic National Park

If you are a vanlifer like us, and looking for a place to stay in or around the park, then we have some amazing news. Lassen allows visitors to park and sleep overnight in their vehicles at the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center for $10 per night! There are restrooms available, and free wifi inside the visitor center. The parking lot is huge and incredibly quiet. We stayed here 1 night and were 1 of close to 10 vehicles that parked there overnight. Now this is obviously subject to change at any time, so we’d recommend double checking with the park staff before attempting. You can also check apps like iOverlander for recent reviews from other nomads.

BEST TIME TO VISIT LASSEN VOLCANIC NATIONAL PARK

Entrance to Lassen Volcanic National Park - Califiornia — Entrance to Lassen Volcanic National Park

One of the major benefits of being so remote, is that you don’t have to worry as much about large crowds of people. This applies to lines of vehicles trying to get in, parking lot space, campground availability, and the hiking trails! That being said, there are seasonalities to the park. During the winter, Lassen can receive up to 30ft / 9m of snow. And as a result, much of the scenic highway that runs through the park, closes for the winter, which ultimately removes the ability to do any of the activities we noted above, with the exception of Sulphur Works which is open and accessible year-round.

Our recommendation would be to visit in the spring between late April and June, or fall between August and October.

SEASONS

SPRING

Avg Low temps: 20ºF / 7ºC
Avg High temps: 66ºF / 16ºC

SUMMER

Avg Low temps: 37ºF / 3ºC
Avg High temps: 82ºF / 28ºC

FALL

Avg Low temps: 35ºF / 2ºC
Avg High temps: 75ºF / 24ºC

WINTER

Avg Low temps: 15ºF / -9ºC
Avg High temps: 50ºF / 10ºC

HOW MUCH TIME IS NEEDED

How much time you need to plan for in a place, is one of the most important questions to answer when planning a trip. Luckily in this case, this National Park is not massive, making it relatively easy to cover a lot of ground in a smaller amount of time. Based on our visits and experience, we feel 2-3 days (think weekend getaway) is a perfect amount of time to cover most or all of the activities we mentioned above. If you are looking to make a longer trip out of it, you could either spread out the activities, maybe rent one of the cabins or an Airbnb, and have an easy-going week.

If you are more keen to making a longer trip out of it, we’d recommend venturing further out and doing some activities in the surrounding areas of the park. We’ll get to that below in a bit.

OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER

Snow at Lassen Volcanic National Park - California — Snow at Lassen Volcanic National Park

The main things to consider with this park, are really the climate & weather, and lodging. As you can see above, the temperatures can get very hot during the day, and very low overnight, making non-lodging camping tough. And with the amount of snow Lassen gets during the winter, you’ll probably want to avoid coming during the winter months. Aside from this, Lassen Volcanic National Parks is one of the easier parks to visit in our minds.

PLACES TO VISIT OUTSIDE OF LASSEN VOLCANIC NATIONAL PARK

We mentioned a couple times above, that there are a lot of things to do outside of Lassen Volcanic National Park. And since it’s in a pretty remote area, there are a number of things that we typically recommend to others that they tack on to their trip to cover some other remote activities in the same trip. Here’s a short highlight of those places and activities.

BURNEY FALLS

One of the best and most incredible waterfalls you could visit in California is Burney Falls. It’s located inside McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park, and is very accessible. We’d highly recommend!

DISTANCE FROM LASSEN – 2 hours

MOUNT SHASTA

One of the tallest peaks in California is Mount Shasta at 14,163ft / 4,316m. With numerous places to hike and get incredible views from or of this mountain, it’s a must-visit for sure!

DISTANCE FROM LASSEN – 2.5 hours

REDWOOD NATIONAL PARK

Wanna check off 2 U.S. National Parks in 1 trip?! Here’s your chance. Redwood National and State Parks are located just under 5 hours west of Lassen National Park. Here you’ll find the only park that is a joint park of both National and State Parks, full of giant towering redwood trees. If you have the time and can swing the trip to the coast, you could check of 2 of California’s 9 National Parks!

DISTANCE FROM LASSEN – 5 hours

CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK

Want to check off another U.S. National Park, AND another state?! Just 4 hours north of Lassen Volcanic National Park, is Crater Lake National Park in Southern Oregon. This park much like Lassen, has heavy winters and seasonal closures, but being only a few hours away, makes it a great addition to a Lassen trip!

DISTANCE FROM LASSEN – 4 hours